Ah, life on the high desert. But in Mexico, not Central Oregon.

Hard to believe we have been here since June 6, but my oh my, what has been accomplished in that time! Found a rental with a swimming pool, bought a house nearby, found a good church home, and have met some really nice people.

Where exactly are we? At about 5,000 feet above sea level, due east of Puerto Vallarta, a few hundred miles, and south of Guadalajara, 40 miles, all in the very interesting state of Jalisco. And, as mentioned in my last column, 2,500 miles from Redmond. To be even more precise, we are in a place where mountains meet Lake Chapala, the largest freshwater lake in Mexico.

The strip of land between mountains (OK, very high and steep hills) and the lake runs about 25 miles and is dotted, if not filled, with small towns and villages, and with cafes, medical offices and businesses. The major towns are Chapala and Ajijic, bustling towns with church buildings dating back to the late 1500s. The strip is generally referred to as lakeside.

Lake Chapala has attracted people to its superb climate for many years. Indigenous people were obvious residents, but not so much for weekend getaways. The conquistadors made their way here early on.

In more modern times, the wealthy Braniff family put down some roots, and the old Braniff house is now a restaurant, right next door to the very old Catholic Cathedral, in the town of Chapala. Folks from Guadalajara have casitas here for their retreat from the several million inhabitants of that major city. Much like Portlanders have done with beach cottages for years.

Lakeside attracted Tom Landry, well-known former football coach of the Dallas Cowboys, a few decades back. Unfortunately the house is falling apart, but you can buy it as a fixer-upper for less than $100,000. The area has been a destination for U.S., Canadian and other foreigners for decades, both on a permanent basis and as snowbirds. As a consequence, Mexican residents, in general, speak English quite well. Certainly better than I speak Spanish.

The mixture of cultures is very exciting and pleasant. We spent the Fourth of July with new friends at the American Legion. I sat next to an English couple who had been in Mexico for more than a decade. Recently, my wife and I enjoyed Chinese food, made and served by a Chinese couple in Chapala. We recently purchased appliances and furniture locally from Mexican merchants. All very good experiences.

The church we found is within easy walking distance from both our rental unit and our new house. It is an Anglican Church and full of Canadian, American and Mexican worshipers. Charitable activities of the church include participation in a food bank, thrift store (sound like St. Vincent de Paul?) and frozen soup sale to raise money for parents to accompany ill children to a Shriner’s hospital in Mexico City, among other activities.

Next time I will try to give you a glimpse of lakeside through my botanical and gastronomic viewpoint. Wife is getting together with the local garden club, so I count on her to help me a great deal on the botanical part, and I am sure she will gladly join in on the gastronomic reporting as well.

— Miles Hutchins is a retired Redmond resident who grew up in Central Oregon. Contact him at milesredmond@gmail.com.